Support.



N. C. NICOL.

SUPPORT.

.l Y* APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. I9I5, LQL;

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

- 4By lIomeyS, 3W/ZEW N. c. NlcoL.

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l APPLICATION FILED .MAY 25, |915- l 1,811,960. w Patented Oct. 8, 19183 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR By A orneys,

/ M m mw www N. c. NIQOL.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

v INVENTOR WlTNEssFs: L@

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NORMAN C. NICOL, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 THE BERBECKER & ROW-LAN'D MFG. CO., 0F WATERVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0FCONNECTICUT.

i sUProa'r.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led May 26, 1915. erial No. 30,528.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it knownthat I, NORMAN C. Nicol., a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city andState of New York, vhave invented certain new and useful Improvements inSupports., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to supports for holding in separated position apart which is separable from another, such as the cover of a box orphonograph, or the lid of a trunk or chest, and for many other purposeswherein it is desired that one part which may be pivoted upon the othershould be supported in extended position. The invention consists in theprovision of means whereby the supporting elements, when the lid orcover is raised, will automatically lock the same in such position, andby a further movement of the lid or cover the lock will be released andprevented from rengaging while the lid is approaching the body.

The invention will be`found particularly useful in connection with thesupport of a lid or cover wherein the supporting means are not easilyaccessible, as it only requires that the lid be lifted beyond thesupporting position, whereupon the supporting parts will be preventedfrom rengaging during the closin of the lid.

Some o? the forms in which my invention may be embodied are illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein,-

Figure 1 is a section through a box and cover illustrating my inventionin side view, with the cover supported in raised position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken, of my invention in use withthe cover closed, on an enlarged scale. A

lFig. 2a is a detached view of the guard p ate.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3,

F ig. l Fig. broken,

lock.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the parts located in supportingposition.

Fig. 6 is a position assumed by the parts when the cover is raised, forthe purpose of 4 is a detailed side elevation, partly showing the partsin position 'to preventing the locking means from rengaging during theclosing movement.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the parts after the lid is partly closed andthe locking parts belng prevented from engaging have passed beyond theengaging point.

Fig. 8 is a cross-section .on an enlar ed scale on the line 8-8, Fig. 1,with the ox closed.

Fig. 9 is a side view of a modified form vof my invention.

l thereto at C, but the invention is not necessarily limited inapplication to a box nor to a structure having separable parts which arepivoted together. According to my invention the supports for the boxcomprise two elements, one of which is movable relatively to the otherto cause them to pass to locking position. Such relative motion iscapable of accomplishment by making either one part or the other partmove. The moving part may be actuated by gravity or by equivalent means.If the prop D is the movable part, the pin. F will be preferably fixed,but this arrangement may be reversed without departing from theprinciple of my invention which consists in the provision of meanswhereby upon a further separation of the parts D, F, the lock betweenthese parts may be released and prevented from rengaging upon theclosing movement. I have illustrated the prop D as pivoted to the coverat d, and this enables me to employ a straight prop. If the prop werecurved and fixed in position the relative movements of the part wouldnot be obtained by the gravital movement of the prop as in the formillustrated, but for such arrangement a movable pin, spring actuated,could be employed.

According to my invention the prop D is ing movement-.of the prop, andbelow this 'without entering therein.

pin will drop into the said recess and hold` the parts in supportedposition.

The means provided by my invention for enabling the closing movement ofthe. parts to be accomplished without rengaging the.

locking pin and recess, include a guard illustrated as a plate which 1sslidably mounted upon the prop D and 1s desired to have frictionalcontact therewith so as to in-l vterpose a slight frictional resistanceto movement thereon` and this is obtained by providing the said platewith spring-lingers -g, g1, g2, g3, which embrace longitudinal edges ofthe prop vand permit the guard'to move relativelythereto. i

The guard plate'G is centrally apertured at H and the locking pin Fpasses through this aperture. The aperture is large enough to permit ofplay of the guard plate relative to the pin, and the inner walls of theguard are formed to facilitate the entrance of the pin into the lockingrecess in the prop, and further, when=..the prop is lifted out ofposition to obstruct the 'entrance to the locking recess so that in theclosing movement of the prop the pin will pass the said locking recessIn order to accomplish these objects the central aperture H of the guardis provided with an inwardly projecting boss h,.the upper wall'of whichat h1 is inclined in a direction lleauling to the entrance of thelocking recess E. The top of the guard is formed with a slot h2 which isengaged by the locking pin during the closand at the side thereofopposite the boss h, the wallh3 of the plate is at a lower level thanthe end of the slot k2, providing for the movement of the" plate so asto raise theboss h1 out of the way when the'pin enters the lockingrecess E. The portion of the perforation H below the boss h and the wall71.3 is cut away so as to offer no obstruction to the perfomance of thefunctions stated. The end wall h4 is located relative to an inclinedwall h5 of the slot h2, so that upon a further lifting movement of theyprop the pin F will engage against this end wall la* and move the saidinclined wall h5 in position to close the entrance to the lockingrecess, as shown Fig. 7.

I' have illustrated the rop D as formed with a longitudinal slot il?which receives the pin F and permits the free movement of the slot onthe pin, and when the prop is provided with such slot some of thespring-finmoroso edge of the slot D1, as illustrated in Fig. 1,

and that the said prop will have a tendency to receive the pin in thelocking recess E when the entrance thereto comes opposite the pin. rllhepassage of the pin through the aperture H in the plate Gr maintains theplate in position relative to the pin, but the size of the aperture Hpermits of a certain play of the plate relative to the pin, and the gripof the spring-fingers upon the plate on the prop causes the platetoremain in position on the prop until moved by the pin, and accordinglywill maintain the said plate in the position to which it isadjusted bythe pin until again moved.

esv

The prop D is illustrated as formed with a delecting edge l below thelocking recess E, and this is inclined away from the said locking recessso that as the prop is lowered and the pin relatively raised, the saidinclined wall I will have a tendency to cause the pin to pass away fromthe mouth of the recess. In the particular instance shown, the inclinedwall is formed as the upper wall of a recess i.

The operationof this form of my invention is as follows: In the closedposition,

Fig. 2, the pin F is illustrated as engaging the end of theslot k2,which is the position assumed by the parts in closing. When the cover islifted the plate will be lifted with the prop until the pinis broughtinto c ontact with the inclined wall k1, whereupon the pin will move theplate on the slide until the entrance to the slot E is suiliciently un'-prop to fall and admit the pin into the said inclination of the wall k1.The parts will thereupon be in the position of Fig. 4:, in whichposition further pulling upward on the prop D will cause the prop towedge or bind 'the .pin F between the end of the proj ection L and theboss I1 and prevent further lifting of the prop.' The cover `being thenreleased, the prop will drop so that the pin F will passto the end ofthe locking recess E. This will cause the wall k3 of the plate to hitagainst the pim/movingv the guard upward so that the plate is moved tothe position of Fig.' 5, wherein the boss h is raised.

desired. When it is the cover is slmply given an additional'lift-- vingmovement causing the raising of the prop sothat the pin F is removedfrom en- Y gagement with the' locking recess and travels .covered by theprojection h to enable theV below the boss I1 formed above'the deiectingedge I. Thereupon the guard will be lifted with the prop until its lowerwall h4 is engaged by the pin on the prop for a suitable distance, asfor instance, until the pin strikes the end of the recess i whichprovides a convenient stop for thispurpose. The wall 11.5, which may beinclined for this purpose, thereupon covers the entrance to the lockingrecess E and obstructs the further entrance of the pin therein. The propbeing then lowered, it will travel on the pin until the pin strikesagainst the deiiecting edge I,

' which will give it a tendency to move away from the entrance to thelocking recess E. The guard will have been moved upward by the pin untilthe pin strikes agamst the said edge I, whereupon the wall h5 being insubstantial alinement with the said edge I, the pin F will pass into theend of the slot h2, in which position it will remain while the lockingrecess E is passed and until the lid is closed to the positionillustrated in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 11 I have illustrated a modification applicable to all forms ofmy invention, which consists in providing the prop D with a boss J, theupper wall of which is located a suitable distance from the wall of theprop at e above the locking recess E to permit of the free passagetherebetween of the pin F, and this upper wall is inclined for thepurpose of guiding the pin toward the locking recess E.

In the main form of my invention the prop D is illustrated as made of aplate, for which purpose sheet metal is preferred, which is slotted. Itis not necessary, however, that the invention should be embodied in aplate, as it may well be formed of wire, as illustrated in Fig. 9,wherein I have illustrated the employment of a single piece of wire K,one end of which is bent into an eye and passed around the other part ofthe wire at forming an eye by which the parts are held in properrelative position, and between which the slot D1l is formed. Theconstruction corresponds to that illustrated in my main form, with theexception of the spring-fingers which are somewhat differentlypositioned. Y

in the modified form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 12, 13 and 14,the guard, in place of being slidably mounted on the prop D, is directlymounted thereon and is 'Si moved in position by relative movementbetween the pin and prop, as in the previous forms of my invention. Theguard, which I shall here letter G1, serves the functions of the slidingguard G in that it provides a stop by which the prop is held when itarrives at its position opposite the locking recess E, and this stop isremoved by the passage of the prop over the pin, and then upon a furtherseparation of the pro-p and pin a portion 'of the guard is moved acrossthe entrance to the slot so that the slot is blocked and the rentranceof the pin therein obstructed and prevented. I have here illustrated theguard as formed of two parts, to Wit, :t stop member X which is pivotedto the prop at w, and a deflecting member Y which is similarly pivotedto the prop at y. The defiecting member Y is provided with a tail-piecey1 and with ashoulder y2.

When the prop is lifted and the slot D1 is moved relative to the pin F,the stop member X drops freely on its pivot under the infiuence ofgravity untilits toe abuts against the shoulder y2 on the deiiectingmember Y, and thereupon, by engaging against the tailpiece y1 it holdsthe forward end ya which drops by gravity across the slot D1 in positionto engage against the pin F and prevent the further movement of 4theprop. Thereupon the box cover may be dropped and the action of gravitywill cause the locking recess E to pass over the pin will throw the stopX' away from the tailpiece y1, permitting the delecting member Y topassto the position shown in Fig. 13. Thereupon a further'openingmovement of the lid will cause the prop to be lifted until the point yaof the deflecting member Y passes the said pin. At this time a iixed piny* prevents the point ya from passing entirely away from the slot. Theprop being then lowered, the pin F engages against the inclined face g5of the deecting member Y and lifts the same to the position shown inFig. 14, Where it 'guards the entrance to the locking recess E andenables the pin and prop to pass without rengaging.

In this form of my invention, while I have illustrated the guard asworking hy gravity, I do not preclude myself from the employment ofother equivalent means for obtainingor assisting this action.

In my invention, when the cover has been closed sufliciently so that thepin has passed the entrance to the lockingrecess, the guard is restoredto initial position by the pin engaging against the slot 7a2, which, inthe construction illustrated, is shown as a slot which is closed at oneend but which is not necessarily so. Thereafter the cover may be movedto any desired extent without changing the guard from such initialposition relative to the locking recess; the cover is moved. when it 1sopened again, the guard will always be in proper operating position.This presents the important advantage that the prop and pin may beplaced in any desired position on the box, as the extent of movementdoes not affect the operation of the locking parts.

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings the most desirable formof constructing my invention .now known to me,

F. This No matter how far but the same maybe modified or rearranged andequivalent devices substituted for those illustrated, within. the limitsofthe appended claims. 1

1. The combination with a prop having a recess therein, a pin adapted toenter said recess, and a guard shifted in' position by the Arelativemovement of the said parts and alternately enabling the pin to entersaid recess and preventing the pin from enterin said recess, said guardhaving a projectlon and said prop having a projection below said recessand said pin adapted to bind between said` projections on the openingmovement of the cover and pre- Avent further opening movement, and saidguard shifted by the pin in said locking recess to permit a furtheropening movement.

2. `The combination with a cover, a slotted prop pivoted thereto havinga locking recess, a guard plate frictionally supported in said 4prop andadapted to slide thereon, a body,

a pin thereon passing through a perforation in said guard plate andentering said slot,

said guard plate shiftedin position by the movementof said prop relativeto the pin and alternately enabling the pin to enter said recessandpreventing the pin from entering said recess, said guard having aprojection and said prop having a projection below said recess and saidpin adapted to bind between said projections on the o enlng movement ofthe cover and prevent urther opening movement, and said guard shifted Iby the pin in said locking recess to permit a further opening movement.

3. The combination with a body and a cover of supporting devices for thecover actin automatically to lock the cover in position when opened andupon a further movement of the cover to render such locking devicesinoperative in closing the cover comprising a slotted prop on one ofsaid parts, said prop having a locking recess in a longitudinal edge ofsaid slot, a pin on vthe ot er one of said body and cover adapted toenter said recess, a guard adapted by the emergence of the pin from saidrecess upon a furthermovement of said prop to be moved to position toobstruct the entrance to said-recess and said guard having a stopengaged by the pin when it has passed said locking recess to restore thevinitial position of the guard and the prop lbeing capablev of furthermovementl after such engagement.

4:. The combination-with a body and a cover of supporting devices forthe cover -acting automatically to lock the cover in position whenopened .and upon a further ymovement ofthe cover to render such lockingdevlces moperatlve 1n closing the cover comprising a prop havin alocking recess in a 'longitudinal edgejt ereof on one of ing recess.

said parts, a pin adapted to enter said recess on lthe other part, aAguard slidingly mounted on said prop and caused to move thereon byengagement with saidpin when the'prop is moved, said guardhaving a slotand adapted upon a further lifting ofthe cover to be movedby the pin sothat a side wall of the slot in said guard obstructs the entrance tothel recess, and when the cover is lowered the pin is' caused to passthe lock- 5. A body, a cover, a prop pivoted to one of said parts andhaving a locking recess in a longitudinal edge, a pin on the other part,a guard plate mounted on said prop and adapted to move longitudinallytherein and having frictional resistance to move- .ment, said platehaving an opening-through which said pin passes, and a slotcommunieating with the upper end of said opening and having an inclinededge to assist in enteringthe pin in said locking recess and adeflecting edge to said prop below said locking recess, and said platemoved relative to the prop by a further lifting of the cover. so thatthe edge of said slot obstructs the entrance to the locking recess whenthe cover is lowered and guides the pin into the slot.

6. A body, a cover, a slotted prop on one part having a recesscommunicating with the slot, a guard mounted to slide relative to theprop, and a pin on the other part passmg through a perforation in theguard and through said slot in the prop, said guard having a slotcommunicating with said perforation and theiwall of said perforationhaving an oblique edge adapted to assist the entrance of the pin intothe locking recess during the opening movement'of the` cover, said pinadapted upon` emergence from said recess by the lifting of the cover tomove the guard whereby a wall of the slot in said guard is moved toposition to obstruct the entrance to the recess as the prop is lowered.

7.' A body, a cover, a slotted prop on one part having a lockingrecess,and Said prop having a deiecting edge below said recess, a guard plateslidably mountedv on said prop, a pin on the other part passing througha perforation in said plate. said plate'having a slot communicating withthe 'upper part 'of said perforation and said per- ?foration having aninclined wall adapted to aaeaoeo assist the lateral movement of saidprop when `the pin comes opposite the recess, and the pin' binds betweenthe end of Said inclined wall and the opposite wall of the proppreventing furtherl opening movement of the prop until the pm enters therecess, and said plate being moved by further opening movement of thecover so. that a portion of the wall of said perforation in said guardblocksthe entrance to the recess and when the cover is lowered guidesthe pin into the slot.

9. A body, a cover hinged thereon, a prop on the cover having a lockingrecess, a locking pin on the body adapted to enter said recess on theopening movement of the cover, and a guard controlling the engagement ofsaid pin in said recess, said guard having means for preventing said pinpassing beyond said recess on the initial opening movement and beingdisplaceable to obstruct the entrance to said recess and positioned bythe relative movement of the prop and pin when the ycover is given afurther lifting movement to occupy such obstructing position and permitthe closing of the-oover without engagement of the locking means.

10. A body, a cover hinged thereon, a rop hinged to the cover and havinga loc 'ng recess in an edge, a locking pin on the body adapted to entersaid recess, said pin caused to enter said recess by the gravitalmovement ofthe prop when the cover is opened, a

guard slidably mounted on the prop, said guard having an opening throughwhich the pin passes and which provides play for the pin whereby theguard may assume different positions relative to the pin, said guardhaving a projection and said prop having a projection below said lockingrecess and said pin adapted to bind between said proslot, and aprojection jections on the opening movement, and said guard moved by thep1n when in said recess to cause said projection thereon to be movedfrom such blnding position to permit the lifting of the coverpreliminary to closing said guard opening having an edge adapted toobstruct the opening to said locking recess and moved by the pin whenthe cover is lifted to such obstructing position, whereby the pin iscaused to pass such locking recess without entering therein during theclosing of the cover.

' 11. Separable parts a prop on one having a lockin recess, a loc ingprojection on the other a apted to enter said recess, a guard platecaused to occupy di'erent positions relative to said prop and projectionby the relative movement of the parts and said guard plate having aninclined edge against which said projection is adapted to bear in theopening movement and which tends to guide said projection into thelocking recess, and said guard plaire moved relative to the lockingprojection by the entry thereof in said recess, whereby said inclinedwall is shifted and said pin is permitted to pass same, and said guardplate having a portion extending across the further path of movement ofthe pin relative to the slot, whereby the guard plate is moved by afurther opening movement and a portion of its wall is caused to obstructthe entrance to the locking recess permitting the free closure of thecover.

12. Separable parts, a slotted prop having a locking recess pivoted toone part and a pin fixed in the other part and entering said slot, and aprojection on the prop opposite said recess adapted to cause relativemovement of said pin and prop in the direction of said lookin recess.

13. Separab parts, a slotted prop having a locking recess pivoted to onepart and a pin fixed in the other part and entering said slot, aprojection on the prop opposite said recess and a guard slidably mountedon the prop and apertured for the reception of said pin, said aperturepermitting movement of the plate relative to the pin, said v plateadapted to be moved by the pin when the prop is raised from lockedposition so that a part of said guard obstructs the entrance to saidlocking recess. j l

14. Separable parts, a slotted prop having a locking recess pivoted toone part and a pin fixed in the other part and entering said slot, and aprojection on the prop opposite said'recess adapted to cause relativemovement of said pin and prop in the direction of said locking recess,and the wall of the prop below said locking recess being inclined awayfrom said recess.

15. Separable parts, a slotted prop having a locking recess pivoted toone part and a pin Xed inthe other part and entering said on the propopposite saidrecess, the wall of the prop below said locking recessbeing inclined away from said recess, and a guard slidably mounted lonthe prop and apertured for the reception of said pin, said aperturepermitting movement of the plate relative to the pin, said plate adaptedto be'moved b the pin when the prop is raised from loc ed position sothat a part of said guard obstructs the entrance to said locking recess.

' 16. The combination of two supporting members having means forengaging when moved relative to each other in operating, and a guardcontrolling the engagement of said engaging means, said guard beingshiftable and having means in one position thereof to prevent saidengaging means passing beyond their engaging positlon, said engagingmeans, upon engagement shifting Said guard, said guard in Said shiftedposition having means permitting movement of said relatively movableengaging means beyond said initial engaging position, and

said ua'rd havin means which when said guar is further s ifted by saidfurther re1- ative movement of said engaging means .prelventstherengagement of-said supporting 5 membels in closing.

- In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing Wltnesses. Y NORMAN C. YNICOL. Witnesses:

HENRY M. Tumi, FRED WHITE.

